Ride, Vaquero!

Before I saw this movie, I had not heard of the director John Farrow. After some research I found that he was the father of Mia Farrow. I also found that he had good writing skills. This is apparent after you view this film closely. The lead characters are Rio (Robert Taylor) and Esqueda (Anthony Quinn) who turn out to be each others alter ego--one man slaps a woman who kisses him and the other kisses a woman before she slaps him.

It's an unusual western because there is no hero--only a handsome troubled anti-hero. It is an unusual western in that Mexicans are not always painted as bad or stupid--it presents them as human beings. Even the 'bad' Esqueda has reverence for God's blessings. This probably is a result of Farrow's Catholicism as it is in the case when the priest gives the final blessings to the dead anti-hero (whose body is not shown, for some strange reason). An unusual way to end a film.

Evidently Farrow espoused family values--the couple's marriage is strengthened and Rio says his adopted mother would not have approved of her son Esqueda's actions. The family bonds between Rio and Esqueda are the cornerstones of the script, with doses of Catholicism and social comments thrown in. Something tells me the film we see today is not what the director intended to show--perhaps the studios had their say. The loose editing makes one wonder what was going on.

As far as performances, I think this is one of Quinn's finest unsung performances. Taylor is handsome and plays the dark anti-hero well--predictably dressed in dark colors. Ava Gardner's role is supposed to be heroic--dressed in white--but is it so simplistic to dismiss it as such. Is it a coincidence that she behaves differently when she wears pink?

It is a strange and a fascinating trio--Taylor, Quinn and Gardner. Farrow had, in my view, a great chance to make a memorable film but somehow fumbled.

Ride, Vaquero! is directed by John Farrow and written by Frank Fenton. It stars Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Anthony Quinn, Kurt Kasznar and Ted de Corsa. Music is by Bronislau Kaper and cinematography by Robert Surtees.

Out of MGM and filmed in Ansco Color at Kanab in Utah (though story is set in Texas), Ride, Vaquero! is collectively unusual, bold and frustrating. Plot revolves around outlaws lead by bandido Esqueda (Quinn) refusing to let settlers and civilisation come to the Brownsville territory. So far so formulaic, then, but Esqueda's right hand man is Rio (Taylor), who was raised by Esqueda's mother and therefore they be adopted brothers. When King Cameron (Keel) and his wife Cordelia (Gardner) refuse to be shunted out of Brownsville, with King trying to rally the townsfolk against Esqueda, Rio starts to feel sympathy for the Cameron's.

What unfolds is a sort of Freudian Greek Tragedy, a love quadrilateral as Esqueda and Rio love each other in that manly brotherly way, Cordelia begins to love Rio, love which he is keen to reciprocate, while King will always love Cordelia no mater what. Action is competently put together by Farrow as it all builds to a big finale, which doesn't disappoint on narrative terms, and the airy location photography (this is one of the better Ansco Color productions I have seen) is delightful. While naturally there will be sacrifices and psychologically tinged twists along the way to keep the faithful interested.

Quinn is wonderfully ebullient, enjoying himself with a licence to chow down on the script with relish. Taylor is subdued, sleep walking through the film under direction to be a man of quiet menace and emotional confliction. Keel looks like he is desperate to sing a song, or just be some place else, while Gardner is required to just look pretty and pretty wistful from time to time. Kasznar as Father Antonio comes out in credit, but when the screenplay has him refusing stolen money to help the church - only to then have him 15 minutes later shooting away with rifle to kill his fellow man - the inconsistency in the production is further compounded.

Keel hated the boredom of the shoot, stuck out in the wilderness with nothing to do for months he said, and Gardner hated Farrow, citing him as a sleazy bully to women and horses! These complaints do show, the film feels like it's treading water, where if you take out Quinn you are left with what comes across as a bunch of actors working for food. Characterisations are not well drawn enough to make the promise of the mind matters work, and supporting players like Jack Elam wander in and out of the picture without due care and attention.

There's good intentions in the screenplay, where for 1953 this could have been ahead of its time and setting the bar for Freudian flavoured Westerns. While it's on it engages for sure, but once finished there's the distinct feeling that it was never all that it could have been. A shame really. 6/10

I've always felt that Ride Vaquero was one of the weakest of Robert Taylor's westerns. In playing Rio, Taylor certainly essayed one of the darkest characters he ever brought to the screen.

It's the end of the Civil War and bandit Anthony Quinn has certainly had his run of things in the area. But the Yankee army will be occupying Texas shortly. Common sense would dictate that Quinn realize the jig is up that he'd better move on. At least his foster brother Taylor thinks so, but Quinn is drunk with power and he ain't going nowhere.

Taylor finds some reason to stay when he takes one look at Ava Gardner newly arrived in Brownsville, but with husband Howard Keel. They're settling on a cattle ranch and Keel has some big plans.

Most of the story I got, but quite frankly two points of it were ridiculous. Why Keel would even consider hiring Taylor after Taylor tried to burn him out. And secondly why Ava had Taylor take her to Quinn's camp to convince him to leave her and Keel alone. Those two things make absolutely no sense at all.

Quinn is repeating the blustering role he had in Viva Zapata. But that film had a lot more depth to it. I think Quinn realized that and blustered all the more.

Other reviewers commented on the undertone of a repressed gay crush that Quinn had for Taylor. It certainly might explain Quinn's motivations. But Anthony Quinn dealt with that issue six years later in Warlock, a much better western.

It's a bad script with character motivations that make no sense. Still a good cast does the best they can by it.

Two outlaws , Rio (Robert Taylor) and Esqueda (Anthony Quinn) , raised together as step-brothers , are reluctant adversaries in this fiery Western . Esqueda's mother raised Rio as her own , but this mutual fraternity will be modified in arriving a strange couple whose vision from law and justice differs quite from them . As the brothers will have a showdown when Rio defends an untameable owner (Howard Keel) and his wife (Ava Gradner) . Each owed the other their circumstances but is now the moment of reckoning . Then , there happens a real battle of wits among two siblings .

The movie gets Western action , shootouts , a love story , thrills , an impressive town raid and results to be quite entertaining . It's an enough budget film with good actors , technicians , production values and pleasing results . This is a trigger-taut drama of the strangest brotherhood and facing off between the West's most upright man and his deadliest half-brother . Their brotherhood and friendship to break up when both of whom confront over the issue of whether to evict new settlers from their territory . The picture is a tale of justice , redemption and about a particular relationship between two brothers and a brave as well as pacific marriage . The basic plot is typical classic Western fare , but what makes this movie stand out is its style . The movie displays crossfire , love and hatred , fighting , round-up and exciting duels . It is plenty of violence and contains effective action sequences such as the ending when the cutthroats get together themselves and going through spectacular landscapes and go on riding until the trilling attack on the small town raid . The rousing climax as Taylor fights to make justice at the saloon , is justly exciting . Anthony Quinn is good as brutal bandit , he is excellent though sometimes overacting , his character bears remarkable resemblance to subsequent Spaghetti villains , as killing relentlessly enemies in cold blood . Robert Taylor gives a sober and sad acting as the good brother . And Ava Gardner is gorgeous , and wonderful , as usual . Support cast is frankly nice , such as : Kurt Kasznar , Ted de Corsia , Frank McGrath, Rex Lease , Monte Blue and the regular Jack Elam .

Blazingly shot in Angiocolor by prestigious director of photography Robert Surtees . Moving and appropriate musical score by Bronislau Kaper . The motion picture was professionally directed by John Farrow in steamroller style . Here filmmaker John Farrow delivers a decently-paced film , though it has a few flaws and gaps . Farrow was a good craftsman who directed all kinds of genres , such as Drama : ¨Unholy wife¨ ; Historical : ¨John Paul Jones¨ ; Adventures : ¨Wake island¨ , ¨The years before the mast¨ , ¨Botany Bay¨ , ¨Back from eternity¨ ; Wartime : ¨Commandos strike at dawn¨ , ¨Sea Chase¨; Crime drama : ¨The big clock¨, ¨His kind of woman¨ , ¨The Saint strikes back : Criminal court¨ ; and Western : ¨A bullet is waiting¨, ¨Hondo¨, ¨Copper Canyon ¨and this ¨Ride vaquero¨ also titled ¨Una Vida Por Otra¨ or ¨Viva vaqueros¨ . Rating 6.5/10 .

While Western is not my favourite genre, it is a genre much appreciated by me and there are quite a number of classics in it. A big reason for seeing 'Ride Vaquero!' to me was the cast, most playing in very atypical roles apart from perhaps Anthony Quinn. Howard Keel's role being especially against type, being a rare non-singing role (have always loved his voice on a brief side note) and it sounded interesting as to whether Robert Taylor would fare well, did have my doubts, in one of his darkest roles.

'Ride Vaquero!' had a lot of well done elements and a lot to recommend. It is worth watching for any fans of Westerns and ones not very well known, also worth watching if you want to see something different from those starring John Wayne and those directed by John Ford and Howard Hawks for example. 'Ride Vaquero!' for me is not really a must recommend and is more a mild recommendation and a little above mixed bag level out of curiosity.

There are a lot of good things here, good things so more than good that it seems unfair and not plausible to rate the film below mixed bag level. A good starting point would be Robert Sutee's cinematography, which is pretty gorgeous. Sweeping and atmospheric. Another big plus is Bonislau Kaper's (another main interest point, have always liked him a lot as a composer) music score, that adds a lot to the atmosphere and rouses and moves in distinctive Kaper style.

On the whole, the cast were pretty good. Quinn comes off best, the role suits him really well (had no doubt that it would though) and he is deliciously unhinged. Keel is very charismatic and has a good deal of intensity. Ava Gardner is as lovely as ever. John Farrow's direction is accomplished enough and is above the material, he does direct the more action-oriented scenes thrillingly. Especially at the end.

However, 'Ride Vaquero' could have been better. Its main problem is the script, which came over as bland and underdeveloped and the dialogue could be stilted. The story was at times routine and could have done with more tension and tautness, some parts don't make much sense either or suspend disbelief (others have cited the biggest culprits).

Character motivations could have been a lot less vague, as you are left in the dark as to how some characters come to what they do and why they did it and it doesn't ring true as a result. Am not sure whether this is going to be a popular opinion, but Taylor didn't work for me in his role. Personally found him too sullen and stiff, and the role required a lot more dark intensity and charisma than what Taylor gave.

In summation, worth a look but only as a mild recommendation. 6/10